That Which Binds Us
by GossInABox
Summary: [AU][YamixYugi] Was it really a chance meeting that brought the two together?


Title: That Which Binds Us  
Pairing: YamixYugi  
Warnings: yaoi, AU, possible OOCness  
Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over anything YuGiOh, and am just borrowing the wonderful characters for my own plot ideas.

Author's Note: Welcome to the first chapter of That Which Binds Us. This is an idea I've been bouncing around for about a week now, and sadly enough, I really don't have much more then a vague plot idea from beginning to end. So, we'll just have to see where it goes. Oh, and for those of you who are eagerly awaiting a hot romance, you may have to wait a bit, since I enjoy developing relationships before having them jump in to bed together. And on that note I doubt I'll ever write a lemon, so I'll leave that part to your own imaginations. :)

Well, enough with my ramblings and on to the story.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Chapter 1 - Strange Nights**

This was not how he had expected things to happen.

Yugi had left his house only thirty-five minutes before, his only plans being to take a leisurely walk from the Kame Game Shop to the small convenience store that was a few more then several blocks away. It should have only taken him twenty minutes to walk there, smiling all the way as he thought of the new game he had gotten, another ten minutes to scurry around the shop, grabbing the items that the elder Mutou had instructed him to find. Then he should have had another twenty minute walk home ahead of him.

Things, however, were never simple in Yugi's life, though he certainly wished they were even as he kept up his cheerful expression.

He had just wanted to go out, see a little bit of this new city and pick up some milk and bread for his grandfather. The boy had not wanted to find himself cornered in an alleyway, his already large eyes even larger with fear, though it seemed impossible. His hands tightened around the thin shopping bag as if it was his only lifeline.

The four large men were grinning down at Yugi, promising a world of pain with every fist they made. His eyes darted from one face to the next and then down to their meaty hands. He was starting to feel ill.

"Sorry kid, looks like you wandered on to our ground, tonight." The largest thug was the first to speak, a harsh laugh letting loose from his throat. They obviously thought, and rightly so, that they had easy prey tonight.

Yugi had always been ridiculously short and young looking for his age. He was already sixteen, but most still viewed him as a little kid in an elementary school or maybe the earlier years of junior high. He normally hated it, but right now, with the thugs blocking every escape route, he fervently wished for that safety net. Then again, maybe these men and their cruel grins were not above beating up kids. The thought only made his stomach feel worse.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't kn-know." Yugi pressed himself further against the wall, eyes frantically searching for a way out, wishing he did not have to stutter so much. He knew what was coming next.

"Don't worry; we'll make sure you don't forget it." A meaty fist was pulled back alongside a cruel grin, muscles tensing, ready to strike the scared, stuttering boy. Yugi instinctively dropped to the ground, the fist only brushing by his spiky black hair before colliding loudly with the brick wall.

Yugi cringed as the thug swore aloud, frantically wondering if he could crawl out from the sea of legs. The harsh kick to his side drove all thoughts from his mind as he landed hard on his side, the bag of groceries flying from his grasp.

Another foot collided with his back, and Yugi was thrown back on to his stomach, trying in vein to stop the tears of pain from falling. He was kicked several more times in both sides, his body jerking back and forth from the force of the harsh treatment. Suddenly, he was jerked up by the collar of his shirt, straight off his feet and staring straight in to the apparent leader's eyes. The hand holding his shirt was raw and red from where it had hit the wall.

Yugi quickly averted his eyes, wanting to look anywhere but at the man who was promising a world of pain.

"Fucking brat! You don't try and _dodge_ us!" He slammed his fist in to the side of Yugi's face, watching as the boy's head whipped to the side. He could taste blood now. "You just take what's coming!" He punctuated each syllable with another punch, each one aimed at a new, once bruise-free location.

Yugi gasped as he was suddenly released and hit the hard cement with a dull thud. He toyed with the idea of trying to pull himself to his feet, but that would only give them more of a target. He settled for staring at the thugs' feet, lying prone on the ground, hoping they had gotten bored with him.

The foot right before his eyes was raised, and Yugi barely had time to squeeze his eyes shut as it slammed hard in to his back, not able to stop the cry that came from his lips. His vision started dimming as he was kicked once more in the head. He would have sighed in relief if he could, feeling the welcoming darkness coming upon him. He hoped that unconsciousness would save him from any more trouble.

Perhaps his wish had been granted, because no more pain came from kicks or punches. He vaguely heard somebody speaking, and though he could not place the voice it did not sound like the voice of someone who routinely beat up on those who were smaller and weaker then them.

"Who the hell are you?!" That was unexpected. Yugi struggled to shoved away the coming darkness, trying to keep himself awake and aware, squinting with blurring vision at the approaching figure.

His vision was still fuzzy from the kicks to his head, so the boy could see nothing in detail about the stranger who had appeared from the street. Still, whoever it was did not look big and strong, and Yugi felt a growing fear in the pit of his stomach.

_No, run! Don't let them hurt you to!_

He would have yelled those words aloud if he could, but only a groan escaped his lips when he tried to speak. He ached all over, but he still fought back the pain, trying to keep his attention on what was occurring around him.

"Just somebody looking for some fun." Though Yugi could not see the man's face, he could almost feel the grin that must have spread across it at those words. Even as he spoke he drew a deck of cards out of his pocket, shuffling them with an expert's hand. "Would you like to play a game?" It was such an innocent question, and yet it did not sound so innocent when spoken by that baritone voice.

The images before Yugi's eyes were fading, and though the promised darkness was so comforting, with no pain and no fear, he wanted to stay awake for as long as he could. He wanted to see who this stranger was, and he wanted to make sure he was not hurt as well.

_Come on Yugi, stay awake!_

It was so hard to focus though, and so hard to see. No matter how hard he fought it, Yugi was slowly sinking in to that dark depth.

The leader of the gang laughed out loud at the words, his buddies quickly joining in with him. "A game!? You stupid or something?" He cracked his knuckles confidently. "Fine, but we'll be playing our own game with you." He took a stepped forward, waving the rest of the gang forward, away from Yugi's prone body. "Lets see how long you can stay alive!" They all charged forward at once, eyes filled with nothing but bloodlust.

Those eyes, however, could not match the cold crimson eyes of the stranger who had a hand poised on the top of his deck of cards.

"Your cards won't help you here!" The fist, raw and red from its collision with the wall was flying towards the stranger's face and those crimson eyes.

The top card was then flipped up, and the smirk on the stranger's face grew even wider. "And this is your unlucky card."

He spun the card around so that the artwork faced the charging gang.

"Mirror Force!"

Everything became dark, and Yugi heard nothing beyond the screams of his tormentors as he finally slipped in to oblivion. His last thought was of the card the stranger had pulled.

_Duel Monsters…?_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yami looked upon the scene with satisfaction, the smirk still evident upon his face. Each member of the game was unconscious on the ground, their skin turning black and blue from the huge bruises all over. It looked like they had gotten out of the wrong end of a fight, which was entirely true. They had chosen to challenge the wrong man.

He took one last look at the card in his hand before he returned it to the deck, quickly shuffling the cards before returning them to the safety of his pocket. These nightly events were nothing new to Yami, and he took it all in stride. Sometimes he relaxed at home, and sometimes he was out prowling the streets, enjoying the random encounters he had with the city's darker life.

They deserved what Yami gave them, and he got a dark thrill out of the suffering he put upon them.

If this was any other night Yami would have walked out of the alley just then, leaving behind the ones he had punished and any he had happened to save. He had no desire to throw himself any further in to anyone's business then that.

This, however, seemed to be the night for unexpected happenings. Yami had almost turned his back upon the scene and had almost started the walk home. He had almost left the small boy on his own, but something stopped him. What that something was Yami could not name. It was too dark to see the boy and he doubted it was anybody he knew. Yami did not get close to anyone, and nobody tried to get close to Yami. He certainly could not complain.

Still, something was different here, and Yami found himself hesitantly moving towards the unconscious kid, confused by his own actions. Something drew him to the boy and he hated not knowing what it was.

It was an urge he could neither deny nor ignore.

Kneeling down besides the still form he gently nudged the boy in the side, wincing as he heard a groan issue from the kid. What bruises would the kid be facing come morning?

He must have been a kid, because the boy was just way too short to be anything else. Now, Yami was not very tall himself, but he considered himself to be as short as a high school student could get. This boy was even shorter then Yami and that was quite the accomplishment for any high school student. Therefore, he had to be nothing but a kid.

"Hey, wake up." All Yami got was a murmur in response. He was hesitant to touch the kid again.

"Come on, you can't sleep here all night." The kid was moving now, slowly and apparently painfully, but at least he was moving.

Yami watched as the boy carefully pushed himself up in to a sitting position, nodding in satisfaction. The boy looked up at him in confusion, large amethyst eyes blinking blearily as he struggled to take in his surroundings.

"Good, now you should get home," Yami said, rising gracefully to his feet, offering no hand to the boy. "And try not to get involved with idiots like them again." He pointed back over his shoulder at the unconscious gang.

Yugi, however, was not moving as quickly as the stranger wanted him to. He looked around warily, wondering what had happened before he had fallen unconscious. The bullies were all lying still on the ground, and only this stranger with the crimson eyes was still standing.

Yugi looked up at him in wonder.

How could this guy still be standing?

_Wait…but what happened? He had duel monsters cards…didn't he? But they were going to beat him up! Wow, maybe he really is strong…but…_ One thought tore through Yugi's mind and he began looking around frantically, rising to his feet much faster then even he thought he could.

Where were the groceries!?

"What's wrong?" The stranger raised an eyebrow quizzically, his arms folded across his chest as he watched the boy scurry around.

"T-the bag! Grandpa wanted me to go get groceries, but if I lost it…Aha!" He picked up the bag with the milk and the loaf of bread in it, a wide grin on his bruising face.

_Did this boy really just get beat up?_ Yami could only watch him in disbelief, though the answer to that question was still very obvious. It was easy to see that the boy's grin and energy were all forced. They had real heart behind them, but his body was still hurting. He favored his right leg as he walked, and he did not move his arms as much as might normally have. A bruise was already beginning to rise up on his cheek where he had been punched far too hard.

None of that was able to take away the boy's grin though. Only the contents of the bag could as he gazed sadly inside.

"Oh no, they're crushed…" The boy's expression was so disappointed and ashamed even. That one made Yami wonder.

_Ashamed?_ _It's certainly not his fault. One of the thugs must have stepped on the bag somewhere along the way…_

He once again found himself walking forward when he normally would have been well on his way home at this point. That damnable feeling was still there though. He wanted to make sure this kid was alright.

"Does it really matter? Your Grandpa will understand. Just head home now."

The boy shook his head furiously, still staring down in to the bag. Yami tilted his head to the side and glimpsed the smooshed bread and cracked carton of milk. A puddle of white liquid was forming at the bottom of the plastic bag.

"I-I…have to go back for more, but…"

The taller of the two let out a sigh as he turned back towards the street once more. He could feel those large eyes gazing at his retreating back.

"It was milk and bread you were getting, right?" He looked back over the shoulder to see the smaller one nodding. "U-um, yes, but…what're you…?"

"Just wait here a few minutes." Amethyst eyes darted from one fallen body to the next, nervousness evident in them. Yami could read this boy's thoughts so easily through just his eyes.

"Don't worry, they won't be getting up for a while, and when they do they'll be too scared to pick a fight with anyone." That cruel glint appeared in those crimson eyes once more, and it was a glint that Yugi would always shy away from. "Ok, but…"

"Well, wait out on the street for me. You're too hurt to go running about the city," Yami said calmly, gesturing to the boy's limp as he walked towards Yami. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon." With those words he disappeared around the corner, leaving Yugi frantically digging through his pockets.

"But…I have no money."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yugi had spent the last 10 minutes standing a few feet away from the entrance of that alley, trying not to think about the fallen bodies that were not too far behind him. They were hidden by the shadows, but any who walked in to that alley would not have to move too far to trip over one.

He raised a hand to tentatively touch his cheek, wincing as he felt the tender, swollen skin. "How am I going to explain this to Grandpa…?" he asked himself, eyes still darting warily up and down the street. He really did not like standing here by himself, but the stranger had told him to wait.

Yugi refused to go home without the food he had been sent out to fetch. He knew that Grandpa would understand. He just hated causing trouble for the old man, or anyone around him really. Yet here he was causing trouble for a complete stranger at night.

He would have gladly gone to get the food himself, though he had no money, and he had an injured leg. Yugi did not look forward to finishing the trek home, limping as he was. "Well, at least tomorrow is Sunday. I won't have to worry about school until Monday."

Footsteps were now approaching him swiftly and Yugi instinctively stiffened up, remembering those bullies from earlier.

"Here you go." A plastic bag, weighed down by milk and bread, was hanging in front of his face. Yugi looked up at the face that had brought the bag, and he smiled at the crimson eyed man as those eyes stared back. The man was breathing heavily.

Yugi cocked his head to the side, wondering if the man had really run all that way.

"Thank you, but…are you sure? I don't have any money to pay you back…"

Yami just waved it off, pressing the bag in to the boy's hands. "No need to worry. Now, where do you live?"

The shorter one smiled even more brightly, grasping the bag close to him. "I live just a few blocks up that way," he said, raising a hand to point in the direction opposite of the store. "It's not too far."

Yami's eyes flickered in the direction the boy had pointed out and nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, well be careful."

"Thank you again!" The boy then seemed to hesitate a moment, looking shyly up at the man who had saved him this night. "Um…my name is Yugi. Yugi Mutou."

Yami smiled down at Yugi.

"Well, take care Yugi. Be careful on your way home." Yugi nodded eagerly, and ran off as best he could. He was still favoring that one leg. He paused at the corner to wave back at Yami, and Yami, surprised by his own reaction, rose up a hand and waved back.

As Yugi vanished around the corner Yami turned towards his own home, heading back towards the convenience store both he and Yugi had visited recently. His small apartment was on the other side of town, but Yami was not one to mind long walks, especially at night. He loved the night and the darkness it brought. They were normal to him.

This night, however, had been strange for Yami, and he could not help but look at the corner Yugi had turned, wondering if the boy would really alright on his way home.

He sighed, clenching a fist in frustration at his own growing softness. "Damn it all!" He turned right on his heel, following Yugi's steps, determined to follow the boy home at a distance.

_You won't come to any harm tonight, little one._

He shook his head at that strange thought, and simply followed in silence, keeping a watchful eye on the boy's back. What would a little closeness matter on this strange night? He would most likely never see Yugi again anyway.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Author's Note: Well, there's chapter 1. I hope you enjoyed. I have no idea how fast I'll be getting this one out, since I'm currently writing another multi-chapter and am starting a very busy semester at college. I also hope the personalities of Yami and Yugi satisfy you all. I'm a new fan to the pairing and the series, so it may be a bit before I can really get them down. Ah, and I have no idea how many characters will appear in this. I have yet to actually finish the anime, so there are still many characters I don't know all that well. But we'll see!

Please leave a review if you enjoyed.


End file.
